Text and Subtext
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: Gibbs has no tolerance for Abby's selection of communication methods.  This is part of the Here and Now scenario.
1. Text

Text

Gibbs came through the back door when he got home, letting himself in while scanning the mail he'd retrieved from the box. He heard the television and cut through to the living room. Abby was seated crosslegged on the couch, painting her fingernails a particularly shiny shade of black.

"Hey, Bossman- I put on the roast like you said at three hundred fifty degrees." She smiled and he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Where's your phone?" he asked, looking around the immediate area.

"On the foyer table- I haven't charged it yet, why?"

He didn't answer but exchanged the mail for her phone on the foyer table, then walked back into the living room, holding it up for her to see. "This phone is now my personal property."

"Wait- what are you talking about? What did I do?" Abby immediately set the polish down and started furiously blowing on her nails to dry them. "What do you mean it's yours? Gibbs, tell me you're joking!"

He cut the phone off and closed it. "I do not joke. The phone is mine, because you and I have had numerous conversations, Abby, in which I have told you explicitly that I had better never hear of you texting on the phone while you were driving. Remember those little chitchats?"

"I didn't text! When was this supposed to have occurred? Who even said that I was doing that? I bet it was Tony- he's just mad 'cause I got him in trouble the other day."

"Actually, it wasn't Tony."

"Then it must be Timmy or Ziva trying to get me in trouble! Why would I be texting and driving?"

Gibbs didn't answer, but pocketed the phone and headed into the kitchen to finish the supper preparations. He wouldn't dream of telling her his source. Abby wailed from the living room, "Gibbs, please, you know I love that phone! How am I supposed to communicate with everyone? I haven't been doing anything wrong."

When he didn't respond she came to join him to plead her case in person. Pulling out plates and silverware to set the table, she began wheedling, "Really, I would never do something you told me not to do, especially when it's a safety issue. I know better than that." Then changing to an upbeat tone she added, "obviously, someone has confused me with Tony. He's always getting in trouble for ignoring instructions."

Gibbs stopped chopping salad vegetables and turned towards her, leaning against the counter. "Look at me, Abby," he ordered. She obeyed instantly and he said, "I want you to tell me right now that the information I have is wrong, that you have absolutely not been texting while driving, and that you are now telling me the truth. As soon as you do that, I will hand back that phone to you gladly."

For several inviting seconds Abby considered lying- she genuinely didn't know how she could manage without the cell phone, but then common sense made an appearance. She really, really didn't want to get into further trouble by lying to Gibbs. She had done that before, and the consequences hadn't been pretty. In addition, Gibbs had an astounding- almost psychic- way of figuring out when someone was lying to him.

Gibbs watched her struggle with the truth, and waited patiently. His main concern right then was the obvious safety issue, but dishonesty might turn into a subtext of the confrontation, and if it did, he'd deal with that as well.

A range of emotions played across Abby's face. Finally crossing her arms around her chest as dramatically as she could, she asked with a sulk, "How long am I restricted from my phone?"

"Six weeks, and then I will only allow you to have it at work- not anywhere else, until I am convinced you understand that texting and driving are dangerous for you."

Abby launched into meltdown mode and wailed loudly. "No, that is so not fair! How am I going to do without my phone for that long? That's over a month, Gibbs. This whole taking the phone is wrong, especially for months and months, and you're just being mean and unfair!"


	2. Subtext

Subtext

The front door slammed during that accusation and they heard Tony enter. Both paused to listen as he hung up his coat and dropped his keys on the foyer table. He was smiling when he joined them. "I'm not late am I?" he asked when he saw Abby's angry expression. "What's going on here? Did I interrupt something fierce?"

Abby sputtered, "Gibbs is being mean and ridiculous and unreasonable, that's all. Other than that, no, you didn't interrupt anything."

Tony's head swung from Abby to Gibbs, shocked at her words. It was not often that Abby attempted a battle with her hero.

Gibbs responded to the tirade calmly. "Keep that attitude up, young lady, and losing the phone won't be the only thing that happens to you this afternoon."

Tony sucked in his breath. He had been on the receiving end of that tone of voice in the past, and it didn't bode well for Abby.

Abby thought that threat over, considered her options, then relaxed her scowl a bit while continuing to keep her posture defiant. That should satisfy him.

"That doesn't do it for me, Abby, so let me make this very clear. If you don't straighten up immediately, and I do mean immediately, you will find yourself in a whole lot more trouble with me," Gibbs clarified.

Tony intervened at that. "Abby, don't be stupid. I don't even know what this is about, but I can tell you from experience that you will lose this. Whatever it is, you are always going to be defeated in a Gibbs standoff."

Abby was a bright girl, and she honestly knew that she wasn't doing anything that was beneficial to her cause. Blinking rapidly, she uncrossed her arms and said quietly, "Ok, I dropped the attitude. Is that ok?"

Gibbs nodded and turned back to the meal preparation. Abby silently finished setting the table, then returned to the living room. Tony followed her, and they flopped down on the sofa together. Tony threw his arm around her and pulled her against him. "Come, Baby Girl, tell me what had my goth so spitting mad." Abby giggled, snuggled closer, and explained the afternoon's confrontation. "Well, you should have seen that coming," Tony pointed out. "You know he's told us not to text in the car a zillion times. What did you do, get a death wish and decide to disobey him just for the fun of it?" Abby laughed out loud at that, and Tony started tickling her, glad to have gotten her mind off of her misery.

Jethro came out of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of them playing like kids. They were good together, and shared an intense sibling relationship, despite the fact that they weren't actually brother and sister. A typical evening would find one of them trying to get the other in trouble by any means possible, but when one actually did get into trouble with Jethro, like tonight, the other would immediately turn into the comforting voice of reason. Shaking his head in pride, Jethro returned to the kitchen. Parenting was the hardest job in the world.


End file.
